1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and a computer program product.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses such as copiers, facsimile machines, printers, and multifunction products (MFPs) that combine any or all of the functions of these allow a user to select a function and specify required settings for the function. The settings includes those concerning an original such as type and density of the original, those concerning image processing such as zoom ratio, simplex/duplex printing, and a margin size, and those concerning finishing such as sorting, stapling, and punching.
However, in the conventional image forming apparatuses, vast numbers of settings are available to the user to select and set, making it difficult to select the settings required to obtain the desired process result.
To solve such a problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H8-279884 discloses an image processing device in which, when an original document is placed on a contact glass and a cover placed on the original document, pre-scanning takes place. It is automatically determined based on the image obtained as a result of pre-scanning whether the original image is a color image or a black and white image, or whether the scanned image is text portion or image portion, etc., improving the operability for the user.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-285534 discloses an image forming apparatus that provides a way of easily setting the conditions for scanning the original document by storing beforehand the settings as a group in an associated form with the scanning condition button displayed in the image forming apparatus, and recalling the settings group when the scanning condition button is selected by the user, allowing the user to change the settings in the group.
Thus, in one conventional technology described above, reduction of the number of function setting items is achieved by filtering the function setting based on the pre-scanned image of the original document, while in the other conventional technology, the setting of scanning conditions is simplified by provision of a scanning condition button.
There are other conventional technologies such as a preview display device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-005471 that displays a preview of an image as it would appear upon being printed, an image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-103726 that displays a print preview image on a selected sheet, and an image forming system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H11-234503 that composites edited image data, and displays a preview of the composite image.
All the above conventional technologies are concerned with preview display of either a single image data or a plurality of images composited on a single page based on the specified settings. By adjusting the settings based on the preview image, it can be ensured that the final print output meets the user's requirements.
However, the conventional technologies still has a room to be improved in terms of selection operation of suitable function setting items and operability.
In other words, the technologies disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. H8-279884 and 2001-285534 are inadequate where selection of suitable and unambiguous function setting items for different processes of the image being processed is concerned, thus requiring improved selection operation of appropriate function setting items as well as improved operability.
Similarly, the technologies disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 2003-005471, 2002-103726, and H11-234503 also fall short when it comes to appropriate and clear function setting items for different processes of the image being processed, as only a preview is displayed and no setting operations for the process to which the image is subjected is possible. Hence, again improved selection operation of appropriate function setting items as well as improved operability is required.